How To Make ‘eating at home’ A Sustainable Resolution

In my colleagues recent post, 8 Green New Years Resolutions, the number one resolution is to “Eat at home more often. Time spent with family is time well spent. Sitting around the table discussing the days events and enjoying some great organic, local food is better than any restaurant can offer.”

I enjoyed this post and these resolutions and have to say that eating at home is a new resolution that my wife and I have also made. We ate out way too much in the months leading up to January and are paying for it with extra time at the gym. But January give all of us a chance to turn over new leafs and try new resolutions. But often so many resolutions last only a few weeks or even just a few days. How do you make resolutions sustainable so that long-term changes are made? Are there special tricks or tips to keeping these things a part of your everyday life?

Unfortunately, there’s no magic potion and easy fix to creating a new habit. We ARE creatures of habit and creating new ones is difficult for us humans. But there ARE also some ways that we can attempt to make new changes and keep resolutions going. Here are some suggestions for making eating at home a resolution that will last.

1. Develop a menu: Sit down with the family and plan out an eating schedule of different meals they like, as well as ones they would like to try. This gives you a list to work with when shopping as well and a chance to examine the list of meals to make sure you are making healthy, organic choices.

2. Set a regular meal time and eat together as a family: Having a time during the day to stop all the madness of everyone’s schedule and have a meal together is important for family unity and growth. It also helps make sure that kids are eating healthy for their meals and eating on a regular schedule.

3. Keep Snacks At A Minimum: Limit the amount of snacks available (for you and your kids) around the house throughout the day so that you and your family are looking forward to eating together during meal times, rather than being full from all of the snacks.

These tips can help you make this resolution more sustainable and develop healthy eating and family habits. Let us know what else you are doing to make eating at home at new habit.

4 thoughts on “How To Make ‘eating at home’ A Sustainable Resolution”

Ryan, I think number 1 on this list is the key, at least it is for me.

I have a question for either you or Deanna, please.
What are the benefits of organic fruits and veggies? I buy lots of organics, especially meats, dairy, and items from the bread food group. But I steer away from organic fruits and veggies as I’m afraid of eating bugs. I’d rather have a little pesticides on my produce. So, is there a value to organic fruits and veggies that I am missing? I haven’t researched this, I was just wondering if either of you had read anything while preparing articles for this website.

Thanks, Deanna. That was a good article. I fully 100% agree with the commenter that said organic meat tastes better. It sure does! Also, I would like to cut down on the importing of produce from other countries, jet fuel, and all that, but since I work for a trucking firm who pays me a nice salary, insurance, and someday a nice retirement, it is hard not to support that industry. Anyway, it sounds like there isn’t a nutritional value to organic fruits and veggies, but perhaps there’s a cancer preventative to eliminating chemicals in herbicides, pesticides, etc. That’s a biggie!!! Thanks much.